The End of An Experiment. And The Beginning of...

So this will be my final post here at The Zen Of Blogging Blog. It's been a grand experiment, and 7 months ago, when I started this blog to talk ABOUT blogging - I wasn't sure where it would go.

I heard something the other night at a Start Out LA Event that gave me some clarity about my path forward. Oliver Luckett, Co-founder and CEO of DigiSynd Inc., a social media agency, and Corporate SVP, The Walt Disney Company, was speaking about the road to success, and he said,

"You're gonna fail a lot. So fail fast."

The idea being that you have to get through and past the things that aren't working - that aren't getting you where you want to be - and try something else to see if that will work.

Which makes me think of that story about Edison and how many ways he found out NOT to perfect a lightbulb before he figured out how to actually do it. He famously said (and there are many different versions of this quote):

I have not failed 10,000 times. I have successfully found 10,000 ways that will not work.

And then he figured it out, went on to pioneer the entire electric industry, and changed our world forever.


And that's the amazing thing about our new social media like facebook and twitter and blogs - this new way we're all connecting. Innovating and experimenting as you shape your path forward has never been more accessible, or more doable.

And part of innovating, and experimenting, is knowing when you need to end one venture and move your focus to something else.

There's a part of me that doesn't want to say this blog was a failure. But if I'm being honest, it isn't taking me where I want to go. And I couldn't have discovered that if not for taking the Zen of Blogging Blog journey over these past 30 weeks. While I enjoy talking about blogging with others and sharing blogging secrets, I understand now that my true passion lies with my original blog, I'm Here. I'm Queer. What the Hell do I Read?

I'm also truly passionate about the books I'm writing, the essays I'm crafting, and the empowerment I see taking place in the vast community that I'm lucky enough to be part of - the community of Children's Literature, and the community of Teens (GLBTQ and Straight Allies) and those who care about Teens.

Where those worlds come together is my "sweet spot," and while I really believe in the insights I distilled in "The Zen Of Blogging" e-book, and the secrets of how to blog successfully here at The Zen of Blogging Blog - it's time for me to move on from the meta-conversation (about how to blog) and focus on the content of teen empowerment - through my main blog, where I talk about GLBTQ Teen Books, Culture and Politics, through my fiction and non-fiction writing, and through my work in high schools teaching SMASHING STEREOTYPES! workshops.

I'll be sharing lots more about all these continuing and new ventures over at I'm Here. I'm Queer. What the Hell do I Read? in the future weeks, but for now, let me thank the thousands of readers who've found value here. Thank you for being part of my community.

The Zen of Blogging e-book will continue to be available (And hey, I've put it on sale through the end of the year, as a finale present!) And I'm sure there will be times when I can't resist talking about Search Engine Optimization and other fun blogging stuff... And when that happens, hopefully I can do those as guest posts and videos at other wonderful blogs about social media.

For now, I'm declaring the END of this experiment, and I look to the future with a true sense of excitement and hope. After all, I've successfully figured out that this blog is not going to take me where I want to go. And there's so much I want to do!

I thank you, each of you, for sharing this part of the journey.

I hope to see you on twitter, facebook, and my main blog!



Namaste, and Remember to keep it Zen,
Lee

If You're Not Failing Occasionally, That Means You're Not Taking Risks...

So I guess I'm taking some risks.

Last week I teamed up with the fabulous Katie Davis, who's launched her new podcast series all about the world of Children's Literature. Katie's an innovator - she's passionate, and smart, and she came up with an iphone app to let people listen to her podcasts seamlessly with their iphones while on the go.

I loved the idea, and when we spoke, I thought it would be fun to do a contest here on this blog to give away a free copy of her iphone app. Now, at $1.99 it's not the kind of prize - like the chance of winning a new car - that will have people dressing up funny. (Anyone else remember The Price Is Right?)

But as the investment was simply to leave a comment with an idea for Katie to cover in an upcoming "Brain Burps About Books" podcast, and no one had to dress up in a chicken costume, we thought it might get a number of people to throw their proverbial hat in the ring.

And we did get a number of people. That number was 1.

Now, at first, I have to admit, I was pretty bummed out about this. I mean, it was my first contest, and it felt a bit like I'd thrown a party and no-one showed up, you know? But the comment/entry we did get was awesome.

Karen from Kidsmomo.com said...

You're right, this is a wonderful podcast! And I definitely have a topic I'd love to hear about in the future: I co-manage a website aimed directly at kids, so it's difficult to reach them. We've been trying to spread the word about our site to educators, hoping that they'll introduce our site to kids. But is that the best way to do it? Or would parents be a better channel? Or are there some strategies for reaching kids directly that others have discovered? Would love to hear any words of wisdom on this topic! Thanks!

The contest, and Katie's podcast, really connected with Karen- she became engaged in a wonderful way - and her show idea is great! And that's really the goal of all of this social networking and blogging... to build community, to build your following, to engage with people who are interested in exactly what YOU are talking about - a community of people with a shared passion.

And yeah, while it would have been nice to have had 20 entries, or 50, or more... I'm delighted to announce Katie as the completely randomly selected winner of our contest!

Like building an audience, a platform, and a community that shares your passion, having a contest with a bunch of people entering takes time. And experimentation.

And you know what?

Like a number of editors and agents kept saying at the 2010 SCBWI Summer Conference,

If you're not failing occasionally, that means you're not taking risks.

And when it comes to blogging, can't we all afford to take some risks?

So think about it: What kind of experiments can you try with your blog?

If you succeed - great! Congratulations, keep at it!

And if you "fail," like I did with this contest - guess what? You can always try something else.

I know I will.

Namaste, and Remember to Keep it Zen,
Lee


ps- I found the photo of the "Play at your own Risk" sign here. I love the idea that if you don't risk anything, then you don't get to play. And what kind of fun is that?